Although squats will strengthen your legs, they're actually a more powerful lower back exercise after you get any real weight involved, so suggestions for other leg exercises won't exactly fulfill the same role.

I push 400+, and its a tough on my back as it is on my legs and ass. That's what makes it an awesome lift.

I still deadlift though. Cuz gainz.

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And lo, Kano looked down upon the field and saw the multitudes. Amongst them were the disciples of Uesheba who were greatly vexed at his sayings. And Kano spake: "Do not be concerned with the mote in thy neighbor's eye, when verily thou hast a massive stick in thine ass".

Some people like to say this. They're usually the same ones who think deadlifts are bad for the lower back. I've never met such a person who was particularly strong.

They usually don't understand the kind of intense isometric stabilization that's required when you load twice your body weight, squat down and then press it up. Or try to pull it from a dead stop on the floor. It's like the look I get when I tell people that heavy squats are some of the most intense ab exercises that I've ever done. If you haven't done it, you won't get it.

They usually don't understand the kind of intense isometric stabilization that's required when you load twice your body weight, squat down and then press it up. Or try to pull it from a dead stop on the floor. It's like the look I get when I tell people that heavy squats are some of the most intense ab exercises that I've ever done. If you haven't done it, you won't get it.

With "isometric" being the key word, vs. the isotonic involvement of exercises that work through the range of motion.

But deadlifts obviously do work the lower back more directly than squats, if both are done properly.

It depends on the squat. High bar and front squats have exactly the relationship to the deadlift that you mention, but the powerlifting style low bar squat that (I believe) this thread concerns is mechanically half way to a good morning — it really hammers the lower back. (This is why I usually do front squats plus deadlift rather than low bar plus deadlift).

Originally Posted by Res Judicata

It's like the look I get when I tell people that heavy squats are some of the most intense ab exercises that I've ever done. If you haven't done it, you won't get it.

I have had this exact conversation with so many PTs. If they don't squat heavy they just can't believe it.

“Most people do not do, but take refuge in theory and talk, thinking that they will become good in this way” -- Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, II.4

With "isometric" being the key word, vs. the isotonic involvement of exercises that work through the range of motion.

I'm not sure why I would want to work primarily stabilizing muscles through their (quite small) range of motion under any significant load. I like some basic mobilization exercises, like cat-camel type, and I do them as part of my warmup. But no way I'm going to do that with any appreciable loading. I don't want too much lumbar flexibility.

I push 400+, and its a tough on my back as it is on my legs and ass. That's what makes it an awesome lift.

I still deadlift though. Cuz gainz.

Yep I deadlift immediately AFTER squats, cuz then your lower back is already fatigued and you can get better gains without overtraining.

Some guys say that if your lower back gets tired out faster than your legs during squats, then you should do leg-extensions first to fatigue your legs, then do squats.
You have to train according to how your muscles go.

I'm not sure why I would want to work primarily stabilizing muscles through their (quite small) range of motion under any significant load. I like some basic mobilization exercises, like cat-camel type, and I do them as part of my warmup. But no way I'm going to do that with any appreciable loading. I don't want too much lumbar flexibility.

Stabilizing requires more than isometric strength for a squat. The more contractile strength you have in your lower back, the better you can control the weight, and so the more weight you can handle.
The lower back has a normal 30-dagree range of motion, which isn't really "quite small."